Server Rendering, Express Routing, JSX Under the Hood, and this Keyword Finally Making Sense

A big session. React internals, some Node territory, and one of the most confusing JavaScript concepts that suddenly clicks when explained the right way. Let's get into it. Two Types of Server-Side Rendering These sound similar but they're quite different in how they work: Server-Side Rendering (SSR) — the entire page is rendered on the server on each request and sent as ready HTML to the browser. Fast first load, good for SEO. React Server Components (RSC) — a newer model where specific components run only on the server, never shipping their JavaScript to the browser at all. Not just rendering on the server — actually living there permanently. Leaner bundles, better performance. Basic Routing in Express Express makes routing straightforward — you define a path and what should happen when someone hits it. Learned the basics today, more on this as it gets deeper. npm run dev vs npm run build Easy to confuse early on but the difference matters: npm run dev — spins up a temporary developm